Although physical activity is recognised to be an important determinant of health and nutritional status, few instruments have been developed to assess physical activity in developing countries. The aim of this study was to compare the validity of the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and a locally adapted version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQA) for use in school going adolescents in rural and urban areas in Vietnam. Methods Sixteen year old adolescents from rural areas (n = 137) and urban areas (n = 90) completed the questionnaires in 2006. Test-retest reliability was assessed by comparing registrations after 2 weeks. Criterion validity was assessed by comparison with 7 days continuous accelerometer logging. Validity of the two methods was assessed using Spearman correlation coefficient, intra class correlation coefficients (ICC) and Kappa statistics. Results Reliability of both questionnaires was poor for both the IPAQ (ICC = 0.37) and the PAQA (ICC = 0.40). Criterion validity of both questionnaires was acceptable and similar for the IPAQ (ρ = 0.21) and the PAQA (ρ = 0.27) but a significantly lower validity was observed in rural areas. Both forms poorly estimated time spent on light, moderate and vigorous physical activity. Agreement of both questionnaires to classify individuals was also low but the IPAQ performed better than the PAQA. Conclusion Both questionnaires have a similar and overall poor validity to be used as a population instrument in Vietnam. Low reliability and classification properties in rural areas call for further research for specific use in such settings.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
BioMedCentral
Open Access Research Validity of two physical activity questionnaires (IPAQ and PAQA) for Vietnamese adolescents in rural and urban areas 1,2 13 Carl K Lachat, Roosmarijn Verstraeten, Le Nguyen Bao Khanh, 4 33 Maria Hagströmer, Nguyen Cong Khan, Nguyen Do Anh Van, 3 1,2 Nguyen Quang Dungand Patrick W Kolsteren*
1 2 Address: Nutritionand Child Health Unit, Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium,Department of Food Safety and 3 4 Food Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Belgium,National Institute of Nutrition, Hanoi, Vietnam andUnit for Preventive Nutrition, Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
Email: Carl K Lachat clachat@itg.be; Roosmarijn Verstraeten roosmarijn.verstraeten@UGent.be; Le Nguyen Bao Khanh vpcd@netnam.org.vn; Maria Hagströmer maria.hagstromer@ki.se; Nguyen Cong Khan dr_nguyen_cong_khan@yahoo.com; Nguyen Do Anh Van ndva71@yahoo.com.vn; Nguyen Quang Dung dungpcd@yahoo.com; Patrick W Kolsteren* pkolsteren@itg.be * Corresponding author
Abstract Background:Although physical activity is recognised to be an important determinant of health and nutritional status, few instruments have been developed to assess physical activity in developing countries. The aim of this study was to compare the validity of the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and a locally adapted version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQA) for use in school going adolescents in rural and urban areas in Vietnam. Methods:Sixteen year old adolescents from rural areas (n = 137) and urban areas (n = 90) completed the questionnaires in 2006. Test-retest reliability was assessed by comparing registrations after 2 weeks. Criterion validity was assessed by comparison with 7 days continuous accelerometer logging. Validity of the two methods was assessed using Spearman correlation coefficient, intra class correlation coefficients (ICC) and Kappa statistics. Results:Reliability of both questionnaires was poor for both the IPAQ (ICC = 0.37) and the PAQA (ICC = 0.40). Criterion validity of both questionnaires was acceptable and similar for the IPAQ (ρ = 0.21) and the PAQA (ρ= 0.27) but a significantly lower validity was observed in rural areas. Both forms poorly estimated time spent on light, moderate and vigorous physical activity. Agreement of both questionnaires to classify individuals was also low but the IPAQ performed better than the PAQA. Conclusion:Both questionnaires have a similar and overall poor validity to be used as a population instrument in Vietnam. Low reliability and classification properties in rural areas call for further research for specific use in such settings.
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